New York Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez is getting plenty of criticism for reportedly being "a lazy player" from unidentified teammates. The man who pays his millions, however, isn't afraid to make it publicly known that he's fully behind the fact Sanchez has a work ethic to the contrary.

Jets owner Woody Johnson shared his support for Sanchez on Thursday in a guest appearance with MSNBC's "Morning Joe" show.

"I've never heard that," Johnson said, according to the New York Daily News. "He's the first guy in the building and the last guy to leave. So, the last thing he is lazy.

"He's an NFL quarterback. That's what you expect from an NFL quarterback."

Johnson links his team's on-field troubles during a disappointing 2011 NFL season—in which the Jets failed to make a third consecutive trip to the AFC playoffs—more with the fact an offseason-long lockout may have had an adverse effect on the team's chemistry.

Although he doesn't agree with some of his players' thoughts about Sanchez, Johnson also notes it's natural to have such internal reactions, which may help his Jets come back stronger in 2012.